Main Book Page      Contents      Details      Reviews      Events

---

The ASJA Guide to Freelance Writing

Reviews

Publishers Weekly
August 15, 2003

"Freelance journalists come together to offer advice on their solitary business in this handbook for working, and aspiring, writers. Each of the 26 chapters is penned by a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, and their subjects range from how to stock a home office and how to hire an assistant to how to brainstorm new ideas. Lisa Collier Cool's essay on writing a successful magazine query brims with smart suggestions, as does Richard A. Marini's contribution on contracts and protecting your rights as a writer. Perhaps the most valuable part of the book is its appendix, which shares "Tips From the Pros." Here's where Sondra Forsyth recommends, "Always finish a story two days before your deadline," and where Greg Daugherty counsels, "Aim high. Try the best-paying, most prestigious markets first. You may find, as I have, that you're rejected less often and simply treated better." Though the great variety of voices sometimes makes for abrupt transitions and small contradictions, this advice-filled book successfully provides an enlightening guide to the field."

Writing That Works newsletter
October, 2003

"For anyone new to full-time freelancing or thinking about making the plunge, this book contains gold nuggets. It educates readers not in how to write but in how to make a living as a freelance writer. Veteran freelancers and those who work with them will find plenty of gold dust.

Members of the American Society of Journalists and Authors wrote the 26 chapters and contributed more than 100 tips. Each writer has a distinctive voice, but all share insider information in readable style.

Although the chapters follow a logical order and new freelancers should read the first three chapters first, most readers will probably skip around. The chapters include:

"Freelance Writing Today—and Tomorrow," by Jim Morrison
"Planning a Writing Business," by Erik Sherman
"How to Sell a Book," by Sherry Suib Cohen
"Writing for the Web," by Lisa Iannuci
"Writer-Editor Relations," by Megan McMorris
"Networking," by Sandra E. Lamb
"Collaborations: The Pleasures and Perils of Shared Bylines," by Sarah Wernick
"Reprints, Re-Slants and Other Ways to Re-Sell Your Work," by Kelly James-Enger
"Contracts: Protecting Writers' Rights," by Richard A. Marini
"Creating Brand You: Promoting Yourself and Your Work," by Jennifer Pirtle
"Moving to Full-Time Freelancing: It's Not a Leap," by Robert Bittner

The book is a great investment for any freelancer, and it's tax deductible."

EnterprisingWriter.com

"There's only a handful of authoritative books which address the critical issues of writing as a business. The ASJA Guide to Freelance Writing: A Professional Guide to the Business, for Nonfiction Writers of All Experience Levels is one of them. It addresses such a wide range of specialist areas that there's something in it for every writer working in any genre." Full Review

Organizedwriter.com

"The table of contents in this guide reads like a who's who in the freelance world. You are brought into their personal world. Much like sitting down with them over a cup of coffee, you get a first-hand account of their secrets to success." Full Review

ISBN 0-312-31852-9    List price $15.95
A Trade Paperback Original
St. Martin's Griffin
Order Now

ASJA Members click here to order     

---

Main Book Page      Contents      Details      Reviews      Events